Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021: Venkatesh Iyer dedicates century to Rajinikanth on Thalaivar's birthday (WATCH)

Indian all-rounder and Kolkata Knight Riders' star Venkatesh Iyer smashed a sensational century for Madhya Pradesh against Chandigarh in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday (December 12). The southpaw scored 151 off 113 balls to help Madhya Pradesh set a target of 332 in the 50-over contest. Following this brilliant knock in the Round 4 Elite Group D tournament's match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, the KKR star, dedicated this majestic knock to superstar Rajinikanth. Iyer is a massive fan of the Thalaivar, who celebrates his 71st birthday today.

In a video shared by Kolkata Knight Riders on the Twitter handle, Venkatesh Iyer can be seen paying a special tribute to Rajinikanth by pulling off his iconic salute during the action-packed Vijay Hazare Trophy clash. The all-rounder's gesture went viral instantly. 

Born in Indore, Venkatesh Iyer is a die-hard fan of Tamil cinema's legendary actor Rajinikanth. The KKR star's admiration for the Thalaivar has also been expressed on previous occasions. In an interview with Times of India earlier, Iyer's coach Dinesh Sharma spoke about the all-rounder's craze for Rajinikanth. "He is mad about Rajinikanth. He has watched all his movies. Sometimes, he used to copy him (Rajinikanth) as well," Sharma had added.

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Venkatesh Iyer recently played the T20Is home series against New Zealand, which India comfortably won with a 3-0 sweep. Kolkata Knight Riders have also retained the all-rounder for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Iyer was retained for Rs 8 crore ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. In IPL 2021, Venkatesh Iyer played ten matches and scored 370 runs. The 26-year-old has so far played 3 T20Is for the Men in Blue.

• Vijay Hazare Trophy
• Venkatesh Iyer
• Rajinikanth